- present participle of touch.
adjective
preposition
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of touching
Explanation
Something that is touching affects you emotionally—it makes you feel sad or tender. A touching video about baby hedgehogs might even make your stoic older sister cry. The adjective touching comes from a particular meaning of the verb touch, "to affect or move mentally or emotionally," from the idea that something has "touched" your mind or heart. Your book report might describe the story you read as touching if it left you wiping away a tear.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Ms. Futterer was touching as Mary Johnson, who tries to protect both men; other members of the strong cast included high soprano Kaileigh Riess as a spiteful office worker and Luke Harnish as Joseph McCarthy.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 17, 2026
Scientists say they're increasingly concerned about the rise in social media videos showing people swimming too close to sharks, touching or even riding them.
From BBC ● Aug. 15, 2026
Doing something outdoors, whether it’s riding, going on a hike or literally just touching grass, is a good way to start your day, I feel.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 14, 2026
“The world of football, to have responded so well to this show, has been truly a touching part of this experience.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 9, 2026
He could straddle the bike for seconds at a time without touching the ground.
From "Found" by Margaret Peterson Haddix
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
